Sosa: 'Clean up the mess'

Rick GanoThe Associated Press

Sammy Sosa wants the Cubs to "clean up the mess" after another losing season and restock the roster with players who can make the team a contender.

"No question they got to clean the house, including myself. If I got to go, if somebody has got to go, no matter," Sosa said Monday. "They got to bring in some new people next year, people who want to go out there and give it the effort we are looking for.

"I don't want next year to be the same in September and then go home. Hopefully, next year they clean up the mess they need to clean and, you know, we go to the playoffs."

Sosa's comments came one day after interim manager Bruce Kimm unleashed a profanity-filled tirade at his team for its lack of effort after a 3-1 loss in St. Louis.

"I think it was the right time for it. In September sometimes a lot of people think the season is over," Sosa said.

The Cubs were 60-83 going into Monday night's game against Montreal.

Last month a frustrated Sosa said he would seriously consider exercising his right to become a free agent after 2003 and leave the Cubs for a winning franchise.

On Monday, he insisted he wanted to stay with the Cubs.

"We are all professionals here, and we all know we have a job to do. It doesn't matter if you are 20 games out of first, you have to go out and give the same effort every day," Sosa said.

"I don't think Sammy is saying anything that we all don't feel or that he and I haven't already talked about," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Monday. "Nobody is happy with the way we played. Everyone thought we were going to have a better club, including Sammy. In the winter he was every pleased with the team going into the season. It just hasn't worked out."

The Cubs haven't had back-to-back winning seasons in 30 years.

"We've got to make some decisions, and we'll address that when the season is over. It's not like you have to get rid of 20 of 25 people," Hendry said. "We've got some good young players and pitchers here. We've got to get the right pieces."

The Cubs won 88 games a year ago but made some changes, letting go of veterans Michael Tucker, Ricky Gutierrez and Eric Young. They won eight of their first 25 games this year, and manager Don Baylor was fired in early July when the team was 34-49.

"I don't regret anything I said. I guess the one thing I regret is that when I get hot, the profanity I use," Kimm said. "When a team struggles, you can't just sit back, you got to do something. I felt it was something that I needed to, both for the club and also myself."